Abstract The presence of inhomogeneities in a spatially unresolved source is often hard to establish. This limits the accuracy with which the source properties can be determined. It is shown how ...observed features not expected for a homogeneous model can be used to infer the properties of the inhomogeneities in radio supernovae. Furthermore, the observed consequences of radiative cooling can be seriously affected by inhomogeneities. It is shown that the deduced source properties are very sensitive to the observed value of the cooling frequency; even a lower limit is often useful to constrain its characteristics. It is argued that the main synchrotron emission region in SN 2003L has a small volume filling factor, possibly as low as a few percent. On the contrary, deviations from homogeneity are substantially smaller in SN 2002ap. The observed properties of Type Ib/c radio supernovae in general indicate the volume filling factor to remain rather constant with time for individual sources, but those peaking later at radio frequencies have lower filling factors. The conditions in the main synchrotron component in both SN 2003L and SN 2002ap are consistent with equipartition of energy between relativistic electrons and magnetic fields.
Abstract
Observations of radiative cooling in a synchrotron source offer a possibility to further constrain its properties. Inverse Compton cooling is indicated in the radio spectra during the early ...phases of SN 2020oi. It is shown that contrary to previous claims, observations are consistent with equipartition between relativistic electrons and magnetic field as well as a constant mass-loss rate of the progenitor star prior to the supernova explosion. The reason for this difference is the need to include cooling directly in the fitting procedure rather than estimating its effects afterward. It is emphasized that the inferred properties of the supernova ejecta are sensitive to the time evolution of the synchrotron self-absorption frequency; hence, great care should be taken when modeling spectra for which cooling and/or inhomogeneities are indicated. Furthermore, it is noted that the energies of the relativistic electrons in the radio emission regions in supernovae are likely too low for first-order Fermi acceleration to be effective.
Abstract
The synchrotron spectrum of radio knot C in the protostellar object DG Tau has a low-frequency turnover. This is used to show that its magnetic field strength is likely to be at least 10 mG, ...which is roughly two orders of magnitude larger than previously estimated. The earlier, lower value is due to an overestimate of the emission volume together with an omission of the dependence of the minimum magnetic field on the synchrotron spectral index. Since the source is partially resolved, this implies a low volume-filling factor for the synchrotron emission. It is argued that the high pressure needed to account for the observations is due to shocks. In addition, cooling of the thermal gas is probably necessary in order to further enhance the magnetic field strength as well as the density of relativistic electrons. It is suggested that the observed spectral index implies that the energy of the radio-emitting electrons is below that needed to take part in first-order Fermi acceleration. Hence, the radio emission gives insights to the properties of its pre-acceleration phase. Attention is also drawn to the similarities between the properties of radio knot C and the shock-induced radio emission in supernovae.
ABSTRACT A joint analysis is done of the radio and X-ray observations of SN 1993J. It is argued that neither synchrotron cooling behind the forward shock nor thermal cooling behind the reverse shock ...is supported by observations. In order for adiabatic models to be consistent, a reinterpretation of the radius of the spatially resolved very long baseline interferometry-source (VLBI) is needed during the first few hundred days. Instead of reflecting the position of the forward shock, it is then associated with the expansion of the Rayleigh-Taylor unstable region emanating from the contact discontinuity. Although observations imply a constant ratio between the energy densities in magnetic fields and relativistic electrons, they do not appear to scale individually with the thermal energy density behind the forward shock; rather, in adiabatic models, the evolution of the magnetic field strength is best understood as scaling inversely with the supernova radius.
We report deep EVN and eMERLIN observations of the Type Ia SN 2014J in the nearby galaxy M82. Our observations represent, together with JVLA observations of SNe 2011fe and 2014J, the most sensitive ...radio studies of Type Ia SNe ever. Our deep upper limits favor a double-degenerate (DD) scenario-involving two WD stars-for the progenitor system of SN 2014J, as such systems have less circumstellar gas than our upper limits. By contrast, most single-degenerate (SD) scenarios, i.e., the wide family of progenitor systems where a red giant, main-sequence, or sub-giant star donates mass to an exploding WD, are ruled out by our observations. The X-ray results are, however, important to rule out free-free and synchrotron self-absorption as a reason for the radio non-detections.) Our estimates on the limits on the gas density surrounding SN2011fe, using the flux density limits from Chomiuk et al., agree well with their results.
It is shown that the frequency distribution of the degree of circular polarization for a homogeneous source is sensitive to the properties of the synchrotron emitting plasma. Most of the circular ...polarization comes from the region around the turnover frequency, where the synchrotron radiation becomes optically thick. However, nearly circular characteristic waves result in circular polarization dominated by frequencies above the turnover frequency, while in the case of nearly linear characteristic waves, it is dominated by frequencies below. Observations argue in favor of nearly circular characteristic waves. This implies a low-energy cutoff in the electron distribution that is substantially below that corresponding to the turnover frequency and simultaneously provides an upper limit to the fraction of electron-positron pairs.
Observations of radio supernovae (SNe) often exhibit characteristics not readily accounted for by a homogeneous, spherically symmetric synchrotron model; e.g., flat-topped spectra/light curves. It is ...shown that many of these deviations from the standard model can be attributed to an inhomogeneous source structure. When inhomogeneities are present, the deduced radius of the source and, hence, the shock velocity, is sensitive to the details of the modeling. As the inhomogeneities are likely to result from the same mechanism that amplify the magnetic field, a comparison between observations and the detailed numerical simulations now under way may prove mutually beneficial. It is argued that the radio emission in Type Ib/c SNe has a small volume filling factor and comes from a narrow region associated with the forward shock, while the radio emission region in SN 1993J (Type IIb) is determined by the extent of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability emanating from the contact discontinuity. Attention is also drawn to the similarities between radio SNe and the structural properties of SN remnants.
Inhomogeneities can influence the polarization emerging from a synchrotron source. However, it is shown that the frequency distribution of circular polarization is only marginally affected, although ...its magnitude may change substantially. This is used to argue that the observed properties of compact radio sources imply a radiating plasma in which the characteristic waves are nearly circular. As a result, restrictions can be put on the low-energy part of the energy distribution of the relativistic electrons as well as the presence of electron-positron pairs. It is emphasized that this constrains theoretical modeling of the acceleration process for the relativistic electrons; for example, some of the currently popular scenarios seem to need modifications to become consistent with observations.
We present radio observations of Type Ib supernova (SN) Master OT J120451.50+265946.6. Our low-frequency Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) data, taken when the SN was in the optically thick ...phase for observed frequencies, reveal inhomogeneities in the structure of the radio-emitting region. The high-frequency Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array data indicate that the shock is crossing through a dense shell between ∼47 and ∼87 days. The data ≥100 days onward are reasonably well fit with the inhomogeneous synchrotron self-absorption model. Our model predicts that the inhomogeneities should smooth out at late times. Low-frequency GMRT observations at late epochs will test this prediction. Our findings suggest the importance of obtaining well-sampled wide-band radio data in order to understand the intricate nature of the radio emission from young supernovae.
ABSTRACT
We present observations of the pulsar-wind nebula (PWN) region of SNR 0540-69.3. The observations were made with the Atacama Compact Array (ACA) in Bands 4 and 6. We also add radio ...observations from the Australia Compact Array at 3 cm. For 1.449–233.50 GHz, we obtain a synchrotron spectrum $F_{\nu } \propto \nu ^{-\alpha _{\nu }}$, with the spectral index αν = 0.17 ± 0.02. To conclude how this joins the synchrotron spectrum at higher frequencies, we include hitherto unpublished AKARI mid-infrared data, and evaluate published data in the ultraviolet (UV), optical, and infrared (IR). In particular, some broad-band filter data in the optical must be discarded from our analysis due to contamination by spectral line emission. For the UV/IR part of the synchrotron spectrum, we arrive at $\alpha _{\nu } = 0.87^{+0.08}_{-0.10}$. There is room for 2.5 × 10−3 M⊙ of dust with a temperature of ∼55 K if there are dual breaks in the synchrotron spectrum, one around ∼9 × 1010 Hz and another at ∼2 × 1013 Hz. The spectral index then changes at ∼9 × 1010 Hz from αν = 0.14 ± 0.07 in the radio to $\alpha _{\nu } = 0.35^{-0.07}_{+0.05}$ in the millimetre-to-far-IR range. The ACA Band 6 data marginally resolve the PWN. In particular, the strong emission $\text{$\sim$} 1\hbox{$.\!\!^{\prime \prime }$}5$ south-west of the pulsar, seen at other wavelengths, and resolved in the 3 cm data with its 0.″8 spatial resolution, is also strong in the millimetre range. The ACA data clearly reveal the supernova remnant shell ∼20–35 arcsec west of the pulsar, and for the shell we derive αν = 0.64 ± 0.05 for the range 8.6–145 GHz.
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